Royce Gracie, Josh Thomson signing autographs at Strikeforce event

While the newly revamped Strikeforce – complete with a host of former ProElite fighters – has put together a solid main card for its April 11 event, “Shamrock vs. Diaz,” the organization is enticing potential attendees to make it to the arena a little early with a new offer.

The diminutive Gracie was the unquestioned early king of the UFC. His family’s role in the development of Brazilian jiu-jitsu has been well documented, and that same family was instrumental in the creation of the UFC.

Gracie last fought in a unanimous decision win over Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba (24-12-1) in a June 2007 K-1 HERO’s event, “Dynamite!! USA.”

Thomson was originally hoping to fight on Saturday’s card, as “The Punk” was ready to defend his lightweight title against Gilbert Melendez. Thomson suffered a leg injury in training and was forced to pull out of the card.

Currently ranked in the top-10 lightweights in the world by most major polls, Thomson will instead be forced to wait two to three months before returning to action.

While Melendez’s new opponent has not yet been officially announced, several reports point to a matchup with Rodrigo Damm.

Tickets are still available for the event at Ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $30 to $350.

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